U.S. Open Cup: Timbers go out on penalties to Seattle Sounders

Rick Curwen, community bloggerPortland Timbers' Bright Dike fends of Seattle Sounders' James Riley to level the score at 1-1.

On Wednesday morning around 3,000 tickets remained. By lunchtime there
were reports of long lines outside the PGE Park ticket booths and as the
kick-off approached the number of tickets available decreased to less
than 500, guaranteeing a sell-out for one of the biggest sports
rivalries in the Pacific Northwest.

I arrived at the park early, ahead of the 15,422 sell-out crowd. I wanted to set up my camera and take a
series of time lapse photos as the North End filled up. The Timbers Army
game day operations crew had already set up the huge, hand-stitched,
Timbers Army banner and were busy putting together the pieces for the
pre-game tifo display. (The soundtrack to the video is Spider Fingers from Here Come The Noise Makers by Bruce Hornsby).

Below me a large contingent of traveling Sounders fans congregated in
section 122. The move to MLS has had a huge and positive effect on the
numbers willing to travel with the team. I expect the same to happen
with Vancouver Whitecaps when they join the Timbers in MLS next year.

The Sounders took the lead through Nate Jaqua in the 13th minute with
Bright Dike leveling the score for the Timbers after 38 minutes. The
match continued into extra time with neither team able to unlock the
others' defense. The Sounders' Taylor Graham was sent off in the 101st
minute for a second yellow card but the Timbers were unable to take
advantage of their numerical superiority.

The match ended with penalty kicks and a 4-3 win for Seattle who will go
through to the quarterfinals where they will meet the Los Angeles
Galaxy.